Being ‘child centred’ in child protection: What does it mean?

In 2005 the Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, was approached by the ACT Government and asked to evaluate the ‘child centredness’ of its child protection policies and procedures. An early review of the literature discovered some use of the term ‘child centred’ in government documents but very little clear indication of its meaning in the theoretical and empirical literature. This paper canvasses the literature and develops a set of principles for child centred practice which may apply to all child and family agencies. In developing these principles, the researchers identified four key themes which provide a broad, overarching framework for child centred approaches. These themes emphasise the importance of: recognising critical time frames in childhood and adolescence; taking into account the developmental needs of children and young people in all practice contexts; providing children and young people with appropriate opportunities to participate in decisions that affect them; and promoting a collaborative approach to influencing children’s multiple environments. The researchers claim these principles can be used to provide the basis for evaluating policies and practices and for ongoing training.